26 Jan - 1 Feb

Sat:  Up to town to help Lulu look at flats around Clapham, the back home via Brent Cross, Tamarind Thai, and seeing Lincoln.  A brilliant tour de force by Daniel Day Lewis, and very thought provoking film.  Ok, its very wordy and little action, but thats what it was being a politician in a divided country.

Made us want to read "Lincoln and his Rivals" on which it is based, a book I bought after Obama praised it, but have never got round to reading it!

Sun: BodyPump at gym in morning, first time for this class and it was good upper body toning.  Its busy though and tends to get booked up early e.g. its already full for next Sunday.  Golf driving range in afternoon.  Lulu went back around 5pm.

Mon: Went in to Hillingdon with Dr M for Director of Nursing interviews, then cycled back at lunchtime.  Fairly miserable with crappy bike lanes and gutters clogged with rubbish (from snow?), coolish and it started to rain after Denham.  Anyway, 13 miles in 1 hour 10 mins.

then back into Uxbridge in evening for HHFT Governers meeting. back home at 8:30.  And I don't get paid for this!

Tue: Spin & Metfit.  Choir in evening.

Wed: Spin & Metafit - felt a bit damaged by Metafit, not sure I will continue this high impact, high intensity pseudo circuit training.  Then attended HHFT Board meeting in afternoon.

Thu: First golf round, only time for 8 holes, 4 each and 62 strokes each!

A bit breezy and the ground very waterlogged underfoot.

Alice came round to dinner, then we all went to Django Unchained.  Excellent film, brilliant acting.

19 - 25 Jan

Sat: Snow around.  Spin at gym, coffee in Rootz, veg from J&J May.  Very villagey.
Sun:  Attempted circuits at gym, but "cancelled due to snow" huh?  I got in why couldn't the instructor?  So 45 mins in gym instead - rowing, cycling and situps.  Pick up Lulu from T1 at 12:30.
Out to dinner at Peruvian restaurant in Canonbury for Henry's 23rd birthday.  Weather wasn't too bad despite dire BBC warnings.  Pisco Sours to start!

Took Lulu home to Clapham enroute to Darvells

Mon:  BMW in for service in Watford, used the time to shop at Asda.
Tue: Stayed in for hot tub service call (new heater required), then took G to Amersham for hearing test.
Wed: Spin, then I tried metafit class - like old fashioned quick circuits or the "on the spot" canadian airforce exercises popular in the 50s & 60s.  Felt useless at it and very stiff, so will try again!
Thu: Spin, then G duty (aborted Nigel meeting, glasses and Tescos).  Out to Rootz for dinner with Mrs M - very nice.
Fri:  G duty (hair,Nigel pickup and coffee) then metafit.

13 - 18 Jan: Snow

Sun: as Jon missed Xmas, we had a rerun with the Marshallets over.  "Such fun"
Mon: Clean up, take down Xmas decorations, pop to Brent Cross with Jon to buy suits etc.  It snowed a bit but not really enough to settle.

Lance comes clean on taking drugs.  I feel so let down.  What a self justifying act.  I'm tempted to throw away his books.

Tue: Took Jon to T5 to catch his flight to Kabul.  Granny to Amersham Hospital for hearing test, but "computer wasn't working" so after a 30 mins wait we were told it would have to be rebooked.  Amersham Hospital is a dead zone - lots of cars in the car park but noone in the hospital, bizarre.
Choir in evening - Haydn Te Deum and Beethoven Mass in C this term.
Wed: Led Mis at Watford Vue with G&N.  Amazing spectacular, well worth braving the charm of Watford Vue.

Thu: Spin, then 50 balls at driving range.
Fri: Snow as forecast, so predictably:

• schools dither over closing
• panic buying and supermarket shelves empty
• drivers crawl at 5mph on clear straight roads, then slow down on hills so skid when trying to get to top

This doesn't stop Granny, so we go to hairdressers, then to eye appointment in Watford.  In afternoon I help clear snow in the yard.

5 - 12 Jan: Skiing

Its that time of year again.  Off to Stansted to catch Austrian Airlines to Innsbruck, then coach transfer to Hotel Alpbacherhof. Picked up skis and boots, and then experienced the first swim in outside pool and saunas before great meal.  Fabulous hotel.

Sunday was good skiing, Monday cloudy with snow, rubbish viz and tricky.  Tue through Thu lovely and clear. snowed Thu night and fri morning so last skiing was tricky again.

Up early on Saturday to get back home around 10:30am.

Jon came back at 5 before he headed out again.  We sorted ourselves out with washing etc.

1 - 4 Jan

Tue: Took G&N out to Radlett Savacentre to return M&S items.  Exciting.  Went to driving range again, both hit well considering.

Wed:  Gym then driving range, still hitting well.  William Penn are pathetic with failing to publish their new class timetable.  Swimming pool is still closed "till 7th".

Thu: Took Nigel up to London - Selfridge's book store, Covent Garden LT Museum book store, Waterstones in Picadilly, then Hatchards.....do you detect a pattern?

He seemed to enjoy the underground trains and connections.

Fri: M&S with G&N to buy her a bed.  Then excellent sandwich lunch at the Rose and Crown.  Supper with G&P in evening followed by Silver Linings Playbook at Rex.  It was OK, but not to my mind meriting the Oscar nominations its just had